Nintendo Switch Is Exciting In Ways PS4 Pro And Project Scorpio Are Not

October 20, 2016

Nintendo has always been a company that does things differently. They march to the beat of their own drum. They create systems with their own visions in mind. They publish games at their own frequency. And they have just revealed exactly what the Nintendo Switch is.

New hardware is always an exciting situation for gamers all over the world. It means the potential for original, innovative software and more powerful experiences. For the Nintendo Switch though, it means a blend of the best parts of home console gaming and the enormous potential hidden within mobile gaming.

If you haven’t had the chance to watch the debut trailer for the upcoming Nintendo system, check it out below:

Nintendo Switch is a hybrid system that can sit as a home console, while being removable for gaming on the go. Simply attach your Wii stick remotes to the side of the system and out comes a tablet for you to continue gaming with. This sort of feature is something PS4’s Remote Play wants to be but obviously isn’t.

Nintendo Switch apparently will run the same games on the road as it will at home. We saw what looked to be Skyrim being played in the demo video. This was a tremendous title for Nintendo to showcase because of the quantity of hours one can put into Skyrim. Being able to play on the go would mean conquering massive experiences sooner than if you would’ve just been playing at home.

Taking your console gaming experience with you has been what systems like PS Vita and 3DS have tried to accomplish, but they never really have. Nintendo Switch truly feels like a system that could finally reach the potential of this prospect.

One thing that remains to be seen is how the a game like Skyrim changes when comparing gameplay at home to gameplay on the road. I can say right now that if I can play a full experience like Skyrim the same as I can at home, it’ll be a massive breakthrough. When I say the same as I can at home, I mean beating missions and progressing through a game, not necessarily the same visual quality.

Nintendo has always tried to go beyond beautiful graphics and power when it comes to their hardware. The Wii, Wii U and Switch have all centered around a different experience, not necessarily the best looking one. Nintendo Switch also feels like it can work, so long as the company maintains third party support.

Third party support would be the one factor that would sink the Switch if support fell by the wayside. As of now, you can see some of the major publishers and developers that have announced support for Nintendo Switch:

A look at some of the Nintendo Switch’s software partners (Courtesy of Nintendo).

The PS4 Pro and Project Scorpio will be providing some of the same experiences in a similar fashion. Nintendo Switch may be doing the same thing, but the fact that you can take your gaming on the road is huge. This makes Switch stand apart from PS4 Pro and Project Scorpio in a way that it never could have had it been a console that solely relied on power.

Trying to battle Microsoft and Sony in the war of hardware power was always going to be a risky bet for Nintendo. There’s only one winner in that contest, and if powerful traditional console gaming is all your console has to offer, than you can end up with a product that is obsolete very quickly.

Right now, Nintendo Switch offers something that core console gamers want, and they cannot find it with either the PS4 Pro or Project Scorpio. Switch looks like you’ll be able to play the same console experiences on the road that you can play at home. This is paramount and tremendously exciting.

Obviously, it goes without saying that the entire list of launch titles has yet to be published, but assuming the first party and third party games are there, Nintendo Switch has a huge chance to succeed. Hardware price, software price, backwards compatibility and so many other topics will have a say too. However, from the early glimpse we’ve seen of the Nintendo Switch, this could be a sign that Nintendo is back.

What Nintendo Switch looks like when you remove the system from its dock (Courtesy of Nintendo).Nintendo Switch while it is locked in its home dock (Courtesy of Nintendo).

About Steve Ruygrok

Gaming, Spirits, and Craft Beer enthusiast. If you say you don't like beer, then you just haven't had the right type yet. Great spirits keep away the bad ones. Video games are kind of amazing, just do it...or something like that. Contact me at [email protected]